On That First Day
by strumpordie
Summary: Edward's the shy popular guy. Bella's the shy new girl. Can love overcome social awkwardness? Or will their affections just fade away?


**2007-2008**

**Bella**

It's the first day of high school. Everything about Forks High seems big and scary and intimidating to a little freshman like me. I'm a little scared for the classes that are said to be harder, the girls that are said to be meaner, and the boys that are said to be hotter and harder to snag. I mean…I guess I can see how some people wouldn't see that last one as **too **scary, but it really is. I just moved here from Port Angeles and I used to be home schooled this is an extremely big high school but it's big considering I've never been to a real school and it's not helping that I don't know anyone. So obviously I'm not gonna want to be the lonely girl who no girls want to be friends with and no guys want to take out. As immature as it sounds, I'm actually rather worried about that. I'm not completely unfortunate looking; I'm average height with almost-black brown eyes, long ringlet-y mahogany hair and a pretty decent smile. I can't help but feel insecure around all these girls that are so much prettier than me. I'm a freshman…being insecure is what we do, right? I spent the last few minutes before the first bell rang trying to make myself look decent in the girls' bathroom. When the first bell rang I gave up, it's not getting any better than this.

I made my way to Mr. Castle's for freshman discovery science. Joy. I walked in and everyone in the room turned and stared at me. I expected that though considering all these kids have known each other since preschool. I sat down next to two nice looking girls named Avery and Angela. They gave me pretty much complete background information on everyone in our grade. I have to admit, it amused me a bit to hear how everyone's deepest and darkest secrets are considered normal first-day-of-school conversation topics. About ten minutes into class, the door slammed open. Not in an angry way, more like in an oh-my-gosh-I'm-freaking-late way. I turned to the door just as the door-slammer walked in. He was pretty tall, especially for a freshman. He had to be almost six feet tall! His face and hair were covered by a baseball cap. He shuffled up to the teacher nervously before he spoke in his creamy smooth voice.

"Sorry, Mr. Castle. My brother and I woke up late and then I got lost trying to find your class. And I promise that it won't happen again."

"Ah. Mr. Cullen, you forget, I had your brother two years ago. If you continue to take rides from him, I'm almost positive it will happen again at least few times this year. It's alright, please take a seat."

'Mr. Cullen' went off to go sit with some friends on my side of the room. The seat he was heading into was about two seats away from me. He was about to sit down when Mr. Castle spoke once more.

"Oh! And Edward? Hat off." The class chuckled and Edward's cheeks tinted lightly. He took his hat off and shook his hair out. It was curly and bronze and unruly and perfect. I could also properly see his face with his hat off. He was like a fourteen year old Greek god with chiseled features and piercing green eyes He had a slight case of hat hair and ran his fingers through his hair unrelentlessly in an attempt to tame it. It didn't work, not in the slightest; you could still see the outline of where his hat previously sat. No one was really paying attention, but I was; I've never seen anyone with hair of that color. He wasn't giving up but seemed relieved when he thought that no one was watching. I giggled softly at his attempt to tame his hair. Apparently it wasn't that soft since he turned around and looked at me. He blushed lightly again, ran his fingers through his hair once more, and gave me the sweetest crooked smile. We held each other's gazes for about thirty seconds until we heard Mr. Castle's voice break through.

"Mr. Cullen, are you going to sit down or are you going to continue to stand there staring at Miss Swan all class?" The whole class giggled again and this time it was both me **and **Edward that were blushing. I couldn't help but be completely infatuated with this boy I haven't even spoken to once. I think I stared at him out of the corner of my eye all class.

He turned to look at me seventeen times during that class.

**Edward**

Stupid Emmett! He totally ignored me when I begged him to at least try to get us to school at time. I rushed through the school looking of my class. I had discovery science first period. I rushed in an apologized profusely to Mr. Castle. I'm really glad that he experienced Emmett first hand because he didn't seem too upset with me. I headed off to go sit with a couple of my soccer buddies. Mr. Castle, however, called me on breaking dress code because I was wearing a hat. I knew I had ridiculous hat hair, I desperately tried to fix it…I mean, I was already late, how much more embarrassment could I handle today? Nobody seemed to be look at me so I relaxed a bit while trying to fix my hair. Then I heard it. I heard the cutest little giggle and I realized it was directed at me. I turned slowly and feasted my eyes upon the prettiest girl I have ever seen. She had the prettiest almost-black eyes, and long brown hair and creamy pale skin. I think I made her feel uncomfortable by staring at her for so long before Mr. Castle called me on it.

I think I turned to get a glimpse at her at least twenty times during that class. I also think she caught me most of those twenty times. I wouldn't have it any other way.

As soon as the bell rang, she was dragged away by Avery and Angela, two nice and pretty girls from the tennis team. She gave me one last look before they pulled her out of the room and I gave her one last shy grin. I turned to my friend Jasper sitting next to me and he gave me a smug smile. I looked at him expectantly but he just gave me the same smug look; he was going to make me grovel. I sighed in exasperation and spoke.

"Come on man, tell me about her. Please?" He just continued smiling.

"Jasper! You can't hold out on me right now, I need to know her." He laughed then. I was kind of confused. But then, I realized that he was going to tell me what I need to know.

"Edward, man, I don't know much but I'll tell you what I know. She and Avery and Angela were exchanging stories during the beginning of class. Her name is Isabella Swan. She prefers Bella. She plays tennis, runs track, and plays piano. She just moved here from Port Angeles with her parents and her older brother Ivan who is a junior…she used to be home schooled and I think she is single. Hint hint. And from what I can tell…she's kind of shy around people she hasn't known for most of her life. Kind of like you, Edward. Except it's harder for her because you really have known mostly everyone in this school all your life."

"Thanks, Jazz. I appreciate it." He was right. I was extremely shy unless I grew up with the person I was interacting with. This means pretty much most of the school because our school isn't too gigantic. I have a lot of friends but it really wouldn't be that way if I had to go make them instead of being born with them. I'd really like to get to know Bella but…I don't know if I can be confident enough to do that. And I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable since she's shy too. Maybe when she gets used to FHS, I can introduce myself and win over my girl.

**Bella**

It's the end of my freshman year. And I still haven't talked to Edward. I'm extremely shy and other than the girls on the tennis team, my track friends, and kids I met during piano lessons, I don't really enjoy socializing. I mean, I do…but only with those people, really. Edward hasn't talked to me once this year. He sometimes stares at me during science…but that's really it. We had no other classes together this year. He is super popular but seems kind of reserved at the same time, you know? He does cross country in the fall, while I play tennis and plays soccer in the spring, when I do track. Our paths don't really cross much. From what I can tell, he doesn't really date. I've only ever seen him interact with girls in a friendly way. Most of my girl friends say that they think he's gay. I don't think so. Well…I hope not, anyway.

I mentally slapped my forehead for not saying anything to him. I mean…he's shy; I should've talked to him first. But then again, I'm shy too. I made myself a promise that I would make the first move next year. Even if he doesn't like me in that way, I want to be his friend. I mean, gosh, that guy will probably win like 'best personality' our senior year. I haven't talked to him…but I observed. Next year. I will do something about this.

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**2011-2012**

**Edward**

Senior year, it's finally my last year. It's the first day of school…again. I can honestly say that I kinda hate myself after high school. Sure I was nice to everyone, and everyone keeps telling me that I'm a shoo-in to win the "Mr. Best-All-Around" title this year but I have a gigantic regret about my high school career: I never once got the courage up to talk to Bella. We never shared a class again after freshman year. I stare…a lot. Not gonna lie. She never seems to see me though.

I made a promise to myself the summer after freshman year. I was going to ask Bella out, even though we haven't said as much as one word to each other. Ever. I wonder sometimes if she ever even remembers me from Mr. Castle's class. I never even introduced myself to her, so it wouldn't surprise me if she didn't even realize we were in that class together anymore. Well, anyway, I made that promise to myself but then something happened when we came back sophomore year: Jacob Black.

Jacob Black, according to what Jasper and his girlfriend Alice could dig up for me, apparently grew up with Bella. They both lived in Port Angeles and while Bella was home schooled, they met when Jacob was five and Bella was four during piano lessons. He was forced to go but enjoyed them for awhile anyway. He stopped playing after a couple of years while Bella pursued it further. Anyway, apparently Jacob's parents were great friends with Bella's and during the summer between freshman and sophomore year his parents got into a car crash. Neither of his parents made it. Charlie and Sue Swan couldn't bear to see Jacob be given away to some random family at the age of fifteen, so they took him in. He handled the trauma well and adjusted quickly to living in Forks with the Swans. He appeared to be Bella's best friend, maybe even more? But they were always together, and I lost my courage to ask Bella out. Especially because Alice told me that she thought they were going out because she saw that he had a tattoo with the initials IS + JB. Isabella Swan and Jacob Black. Well isn't he the coolest badass? Come on, who has a tattoo as a junior in high school? I mean, I was a sophomore at the time and I knew there was no chance of my having a tattoo by my junior year. With that, I let my hope to be with Bella fall away. She was taken. So for the past two years, my sophomore and junior years, I settled for adoring glances from afar and listened to my brother and Jasper and their girlfriends (they just happened to be my closest friends) taunt me about being too much of a wimp to say even **one **word to the girl of my dreams…not even 'hey' or 'hi' or 'I've never talked to you before but I'm pretty much irrevocably in love you'…because you know, got to keep it light, right?

But now, since it's senior year, I can try and get her to notice me. As luck would have it, Jacob was attending UDub which is a few good hours away since he's a year older than us. Being blunt and forward doesn't seem to be either of our styles. So I might have possible adopted a bit of a stalker-ish game plan for this year. In a hopefully sweet way?

**Bella**

It's a few months into my senior year. I miss Jake. He's been my best friend since I was four, and now he's hours away at college. Tennis season is just about over but I still have to be at the school for the piano lessons I offer for anyone interested at school. It pays pretty well…but it is kinda of time consuming. I get out at around 5:30 every night and there's pretty much nobody there anymore by that time except a few athletic teams getting out of practice. As I walked down the steps of our school courtyard down to the parking lot, the cross country team was walking up the steps back to the locker room from their practice. Edward Cullen was in the group…I could spot his hair anywhere. He looked at me with a nonchalant smile and kept going up the stairs…I wonder if he remembered freshman year. I wonder if he remembered me, I can't blame him if he didn't. We've never spoken before. I acted just as nonchalant as he seemed to be and kept walking toward my car.

Inside…my heart was screaming to turn back around and say 'hi' or ask 'did you know you still have my heart from freshman science?' or something equally embarrassing that would probably result in him getting a restraining order against me.

**Edward**

From that day after cross country practice, I figured out Bella's schedule. In the fall, she had tennis until 3:30 and then she gave piano lessons until around 5:30. In the winter, she gave double lessons since tennis was over. In the spring, she had track practice before piano. Everyday of senior year, she left the school at 5:30. Everyday, she walks down the courtyard steps at approximately the same time. In the fall, I get out of cross country at 5:00. As luck would have it, we were running extremely late that day I saw Bella on the steps. In the winter, I took up tutoring everyday until about 5:15. In the spring, I had soccer practice until 5:00, same as cross country. Everyday I would wait around until 5:30 to get a glimpse of Bella. Jasper and Alice gave me crap everyday for 'stalking' my dream girl. But you know what? I get to see her everyday and that makes it worth it.

The year went by and I never actually got the nerve up to talk to her. The seasons zoomed past and the highlight of everyday was always when I would race across the school to the parking lot and nonchalantly walk up the courtyard stairs while she walks down. Some days, she gives me a fleeting smile. Some days, it seems like she doesn't even notice me. Some days, she looks like she wants to say something to me…but she never does. Some days, we look each other in the eye on our trips around the courtyard steps and it feels like she can see right into my soul and can feel exactly what I feel for her. On those kinds of days, I my heart pounds so hard that I feel like she can hear it.

**Bella**

I've seen Edward everyday of my senior year. We always seem to be on the courtyard steps at the same time. I'm always heading towards the parking lot and he always seems to be going back toward the school after whatever after school activity he does that day. 5:30 became my favorite part of the day. Some days, I feel like he can just see how I feel about him. Some days, I feel like if I look at him, I'll burst out with a declaration of love…so those days, I pretend like I don't see him. Some days, we share that look and for a second I can imagine he feels the same way. But I know he doesn't. I can tell you exactly what days he was absent because those were always the days I felt miserable when I went home.

The year went by. We never talked. Prom passed by, as did our senior trip. I went through every milestone and grand event of senior year with a heavy heart because of the regret from not talking to him. Finally, our lockers were empty, graduation rehearsal flew by, the actual ceremony was this Saturday and I just finished my last piano lesson ever. I was running a little late, and I was afraid I'd miss my last day to see Edward. I flew across the campus but made it to the steps at 5:40. I was extremely disappointed…I really wanted to see him one last time before graduation.

And then, like clockwork, as I started walking down the steps he came around the corner and started walking up. It was one of **those **days…where we kind of look at each other to the point where I can imagine that he loves me too. I purposely walked a bit slower today than usual, trying to savor the moment. It seems like he did too. I felt like I could've cried when I finally completely past him on the stairs. This was it; we were never going to walk by and share are secret glances again. I'd probably never see him again at all after graduation since we weren't even friends. And then I heard it.

"Hey!" I took a deep breath, smiled to myself, and turned around slowly. Once I turned around he continued.

"Uh…hi." He says with a shy smile. I bit my lip and replied with a smile just as shy.

"Hey." He jogs down the steps to meet up with me ands says,

"I'm Edward. Edward Cullen? We had discovery science together, right?" So he did remember, I cheered internally.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm Bella Swan." We shook hands and it felt like my hand was on fire. He didn't let go of my hand. We stood there staring at each other for what seemed like hours. I felt like I was in heaven. I checked the time and internally cursed myself. I was late to work. I had to manage my parents' restaurant tonight so that they could pick up my brother and Jake who both went to UDub from the airport. They were coming into town for my graduation, so the least I could do was work a shift at the restaurant for them.

Edward looked like he was about to say something but I was REALLY late. And I had to go.

"Listen, Edward. It was really nice to meet you, but I'm so late for work. I really gotta go. I'm sorry." He looked panicked for a second.

"Wait. Please, please don't go."

"I have to; my parents really need me to cover their shift at the restaurant."

"Bella, please. It's taken me four years to get up the courage to approach you. FOUR YEARS for me to even say a word to you. Please don't go yet." I was speechless; he wanted to talk to me too.

"Edward, I can't believe it took us this long either. But my sister is coming into town, and I really have to go take over the restaurant so my parents can pick them up."

"Oh. I understand." I let go of his hand and started walking away.

"Wait! Bella, wait!" I turned curiously again but didn't say anything.

"Can I come with you, Bella?"

**Edward**

It's the last day of school and…crap! I'm running late! I usually wait by the steps from 5:00 up until Bella comes at 5:30. It was 5:25! Dangit. Coach wanted to talk to all the seniors and congratulate us on a great season and wish us luck in college. I raced out of the locker room but as I was about to exit, Jasper tackled me. I struggled to get up and he laughed and said,

"Come on, Ed! You're gonna miss her. You're gonna miss her." Jerk. He's still my best friend though.

I got to the steps around 5:37…I thought I missed her, but then, I heard her familiar footsteps and got ready to walk up the stairs. We went through our normal routine, sharing sweet smiles and deep looks and then I realized how sad I felt when she was no longer in sight so I did it.

I did it! I (albeit hesitantly) approached Bella on the last day of school on those amazing courtyard steps. We had a really short conversation that was probably the highlight of my life. Then suddenly, she had to go. And I'm not exactly sure why, but I asked if I could go with her. And surprisingly she said yes. We drove in separate cars to her parents' restaurant. It turns out they were extremely ready to get out and go to the airport. They said hi to Bella and were in there car and on the road before I even got out of my car. Oh well. If things work in my favor, I will meet them later.

I helped her host the restaurant and serve customers; we also talked about everything and anything. We fell into easy conversation as if we had known each other for years…and in a way, that's kind of true. I learned about her likes and dislikes. That we both got into UDub, NYU, and Berkeley. I learned that we were both enrolled in Berkeley, this excited me like no other. We talked about how high school was for the both of us. She asked me why I came with her to work just to have this random conversation…I told her that I'd tell her once she answered my own question first. I was curious about something though.

"Hey Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever…recognize me? All those days that I waited for you after school?"

"Uhm yeah…wait. You waited for me?"

"I uh…yeah kind of."

"But why?"

"Because I'm shy and I couldn't get up the courage the talk to you?"

"You're shy? You were voted Mr. Best-All-Around. You cannot be shy."

"But I was voted that by all the people that I have grown up with. I couldn't talk to you because I didn't know you and you made me nervous. Because you're just so pretty and wonderful and good at everything and kind of intimidating to me. And you're the only girl that has ever gotten my interest and I wanted to talk to you freshman year, and I chickened out. And then I promised myself to get to know you sophomore year but then your boyfriend moved to town. So I just left you alone…and now I'm rambling." I'm pretty sure I didn't even breath throughout that whole speech. I was gonna start up again with more reasons why I'm sorry that I haven't talked to her until today when she cut in.

"Boyfriend?"

"Uhm yeah. Jacob Black? Isn't he your boyfriend? You're always together and he has a tattoo with your guys' initials."

"HA! Uhm. Jacob is just my best friend. There is absolutely nothing going on."

"But the initials?"

"Oh. IS as in Ivan Swan. He's with my brother, they're gay."

"OH…so I left you alone because I thought you had a boyfriend…but you didn't?"

"That's right. I'm sorry you thought that." I quickly looked around the restaurant to see if there were any customers left. It was about time to close and the place was empty. I sat Bella down in the nearest chair and got on my knees so that we were at eye level. I took a deep breath and decided to tell her how I feel.

"No, I'm sorry that I was such a wimp about the situation. The truth is, yes, I've waited for you everyday after school this year. I've wanted so badly to talk to you since the very first day of freshman year. That day, when I walked in late…I saw you and since then, you've been the only thing that I could see. I know we just met today, but…I've been in love with you since the first time that I heard your cute little laugh when you laughed at my hat hair. I loved you from afar as I thought I was doing myself a favor by staying away from you. My closest friends bug me about it everyday because they know…they know just as well as I do that we belong together. I know that you probably haven't even noticed me these past four years but please give me a chance."

**Bella**

He said that and I almost fainted. I felt unshed tears in my eyes and I looked at him and said,

"I have you beat. I fell in love with you the moment you took off that hat." I leaned down and gave him a kiss. And I felt every cliché in the book: butterflies, fireworks, sirens. Everything. I knew. He was worth the wait.


End file.
